A popular motoring personality and a former police investigator have shared a number of tips to help motorists keep their car safe.
Shahzad Shiekh runs the YouTube channel Brown Car Guy, in which he helps viewers by offering money saving tips and reacts to the latest developments in the automotive world.
In a recent video, Shahzad was joined by ex-police investigator Philip Swift, now an expert at Claims Management & Adjusting Ltd, who stated that the number of cars reported stolen is on the rise.
He explained: “The last [figures] I saw indicated that we were up to about 130,000 [cars stolen] a year, which would be a 25 percent increase in about a year, which is phenomenal. That’s a staggering increase.
“Add to that the value of vehicles has increased, add to that the recovery rate has dropped. Don’t simply look at how many were taken, you want to have a look at how many have been found, how many have been returned to their owners and returned in good condition.”
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During 2022, the latest data available, 130,389 vehicles were stolen from UK motorists, a rise of nearly 26,000 on the previous year.
A further 212,900 drivers also experienced criminals breaking into their car to steal an item of value, such as the catalytic converter or a valuable kept inside.
One of the biggest reasons why car crime is on the rise is due to the increase in the number of cars with keyless entry, making it easier for thieves to replicate the key with third party technology.
To help motorists keep their car safe, Philip urged drivers to always keep their car key safe, hiding it in an unusual location away from where the car is typically parked.
He advised: “With vehicle theft the main claims we are seeing at the moment is key burglary. Keep the keys safe. Do something a little unusual, have a particular place that you keep them, in a particular vessel that is not obvious.
“People say put them away with the door, maybe. You might find a biscuit tin and you want to put them in the cupboard. It’s not only about keeping your key safe, if you’re anything like me you get very frustrated when you forget where you put them the night before. So, I do just that.”
The former investigator also recommended that victims should not feel pressured to confront thieves attempting to take their vehicle, noting they could be putting themselves at risk.
He added: “At the end of the day it’s an asset, it’s an item of property. [You can] draw the parallel to those people who are now stealing watches, small items and high value they want to take and palm off on somebody else.
“Is it really worth resisting confrontation? It’s different if you’re me, 6ft4, ex-rugby player with a face that people get tired of hitting. I might, if a young person tried to take my vehicle, but why would you?”
